Saturday, June 30, 2012

Cairo (CNN) Amid the celebrations that greeted the declaration of a winner in Egypt's first freely elected presidential vote, a British student journalist was being sexually assaulted by a mob in Tahrir Square.

Natasha Smith recounted the experience on her blog and in an interview with CNN. Smith, who has since left Egypt, wrote that the moving demonstrations of freedom turned to horror "in a split second" when dozens of frenzied men dragged her away from two male companions and began to grope her "with increasing force and aggression."

"Men started ripping off all my clothes," she told CNN. "First of all, it was my skirt, and that just went straight away, and I didn't even feel my underwear being removed. Then my shoes went and clothes on my upper half were just being ripped off me, and that was quite painful."

During the assault, "I was just in this weird, detached state of mind, and I just kept saying, 'Please God, please make it stop. Please, God, make it stop.' "

Smith's experience echoes the assaults faced by two prominent female reporters, CBS News correspondent Lara Logan and Egyptian-American columnist Mona Eltahawy, who has said her attackers were officers at a police station. One of Smith's friends, Callum Paton, told CNN the mob dragged Smith naked across the ground before another group of men stepped in to protect her.

The Arab Spring is not Spring Break

After South African war correspondent Lara Logan was pack raped by a mob in Tahrir Square last year, I took a ration of shit at work when I referred to the incident as a failure of cultural / situational awareness. My exact words were something to the effect; "That blonde journalist who got herself raped in Tahrir Square."

I'm in the security business, my clients travel overseas and I don't know how I can advise them regarding situations like this and be politically correct at the same time. And yet there it was, I had uttered the forbidden words; "...got herself raped..."

To me it's like the Emperor's new clothes. For a young woman from the west, dressed in a t-shirt, to enter a mob of men in any Arab country - especially during times of political strife - she might as well have herself thrown into the general prison population at San Quentin, the doors locked behind her and all the guards turn their backs and go away. The results will be the same.

Served two six month tours in Egypt, at MFO South Camp down by Sharm el Sheik, and sexual assault situations of Arab men on Western women were not uncommon; in fact it happened with mind-numbing regularity. Everything from openly masturbating in front of Western women to full-on gang rape.

Westerners simply cannot fathom the extreme sexual frustration of Arab society. In certain circles, for a woman to be in public dressed in jeans and a t-shirt - or even worse, shorts - is the equivalent of a pornographic movie.

And the audience has the same level of sexual frustration as the inmate population of San Quentin Federal Penitentiary.

Military Contractors Are Fined Over Aid to ChinaCanadian subsidiary of Connecticut-based military contractor United Technologies Corporation plead guilty on Thursday to federal charges it illegally helped Chinese government develop an attack helicopter now in service there.

Army trying to figure out what to do with 20,000 mine-resistant trucksDue to the sheer size and weight of the machines, along with the specialized nature of their design, the military isn't likely to continue using MRAPS in differing battlefield conditions after the pull out from Afghanistan in 2014. What will become of these 20,000 MRAPS? So far, the only option on the list is for mine clearing and explosive ordinance disposal. They don't need 20,000 of them for that.

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Today is ObamaCare Day. People are taking odds and placing bets on the stock market over this thing. As a private businessman, I am stuck in the middle of this thing - unfortunately - and my future endeavors will be severely affected if this thing goes south . . . S.L.

WHO'S SREWED IF OBAMACARE GETS THE AX?

According to the Liberals:

Kids. Sick people. Southerners. These are just a few of the groups that could get shafted if the Supreme Court axes the Affordable Care Act, writes The Daily Beast’s Jesse Singal

Yeah, right - like how on Earth did this place get to be the greatest country on Earth if we survived all this time without Obamacare? And if this place is so bad, how come people risk losing everything to include their lives to get here?

WHO'S SCREWED IF OBAMACARE PREVAILS?

According to the TEA Party:

Everybody. All of us. You seen the news about what's happening in Europe, lately? Take a good look - that's where Socialism leads, each and every time it's tried. Socialism broke the EU - largest economic block in the world - and Socialism will break us. IS breaking us - we're broke; just have a look at California. Detroit. Chicago. Everywhere else Socialism has been tried.

You can have one of two things; a Defense budget, or Socialism. But you can't have both.

Oh yeah - and we're already broke; we're financing our wars on the borrowed dime. Buncha kids just graduated from college this month are finally waking up, smelling the coffee and getting an idea of what it means to live under crushing debt. Welcome to RealityVille, kids! Betcha won't be voting for The One He-Who-Bows Barry Soetero this time around, eh?

- STORMBRINGER SENDS

A woman from Los Angeles; tree hugger, liberal Democrat and an anti-hunter, purchased a piece of timberland near Colville, WA .

There was a large tree on one of the highest points in the tract. She wanted a good view of the natural splendor of her land so she started to climb the big tree. As she neared the top she encountered a spotted owl that attacked her.

In her haste to escape, the woman slid down the tree to the ground and got many splinters in her crotch. In considerable pain, she hurried to the local ER to see a doctor. She told him she was an environmentalist, a Democrat, and an anti-hunter and how she came to get all the splinters.

The doctor listened to her story with great patience and then told her to go wait in the examining room and he would see if he could help her.

She sat and waited three hours before the doctor reappeared.

The angry woman demanded, "What took you so long?"

He smiled, and then told her, "Well, I had to get permits from the Environmental Protection Agency, the Forest Service, and the Bureau of Land Management before I could remove old-growth timber from a "recreational area" so close to a waste treatment facility outlet. I'm sorry, but due to ObamaCare they turned you down!"

All you have to do is log on to the Internet to see how fierce competition can be when it comes to California home loans. And of course, this makes choosing the ideal loan for you all the more difficult.

When comparing rates of California home loans, make sure that you consider the following factors:

Loan Type

There are several kinds of California home loans. Most first-time borrowers no doubt feel confused. Loans can be classified according to term, rates and use. Make sure that you research this before closing any deal with a homeowner or mortgage lender.

Trusting Your Mortgage Company

Always be on guard against con artists masquerading as mortgage lenders; they're a dime a dozen in California. You need to be extra cautious when you go loan-shopping. While it's infinitely better to patronize products and services from well-known companies, their fees can go beyond your budget. If you can't afford the interest rates charged by these companies, just make sure that the company you deal with is accredited by the Better Business Bureau.

Pre-Qualified Loan Approval

A pre-qualified loan approval will only be possible if you submit all the documents required by the mortgage company, have a reliable and stable source of income as well as an excellent credit rating. Otherwise, you need to go about things the old-fashioned way: apply, then wait for the company to contact you about your loan status.

Approval Time

Be sure you know the maximum length of time a mortgage company requires to process your loan application. The sooner they process them, the better.

Closing Costs

When consulting with your mortgage lender, make sure that they provide details regarding any other fees and commissions associated with your home loan and purchase.

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

When I did the D-Day post this year a reader gave me the business because I didn't feature our worthy & noble Allies of the Great British Empire & Commonwealth - and rightly so. As a son of the Commonwealth myself, I should have acknowledged my family's side of the team. STORMBRINGER is dedicated to the forces of the Commonwealth as well as the United States, and well, I hope this makes it up, this time around. I served with British soldiers - they are the most professional army in the world and I learned a lot about soldiering from them. God Bless the loyal British Squaddie without whom there would not be a Britain - S. L.

The average British soldier is 19 years old . . . he is a short haired, well built lad who, under normal circumstances is considered by society as half man, half boy. Not yet dry behind the ears and just old enough to buy a round of drinks but old enough to die for his country – and for you. He’s not particularly keen on hard work but he’d rather be grafting in Afghanistan than unemployed in the UK. He recently left comprehensive school where he was probably an average student, played some form of sport, drove a ten year old rust bucket, and knew a girl that either broke up with him when he left, or swore to be waiting when he returns home. He moves easily to rock and roll or hip-hop or to the rattle of a 7.62mm machine gun.

He is about a stone lighter than when he left home because he is working or fighting from dawn to dusk and well beyond. He has trouble spelling, so letter writing is a pain for him, but he can strip a rifle in 25 seconds and reassemble it in the dark. He can recite every detail of a machine gun or grenade launcher and use either effectively if he has to. He digs trenches and latrines without the aid of machines and can apply first aid like a professional paramedic. He can march until he is told to stop, or stay dead still until he is told to move.

He obeys orders instantly and without hesitation but he is not without a rebellious spirit or a sense of personal dignity. He is confidently self-sufficient. He has two sets of uniform with him: he washes one and wears the other. He keeps his water bottle full and his feet dry. He sometimes forgets to brush his teeth, but never forgets to clean his rifle. He can cook his own meals, mend his own clothes and fix his own hurts. If you are thirsty, he'll share his water with you; if you are hungry, his food is your food. He'll even share his life-saving ammunition with you in the heat of a firefight if you run low.

He has learned to use his hands like weapons and regards his weapon as an extension of his own hands. He can save your life or he can take it, because that is his job - it's what a soldier does. He often works twice as long and hard as a civilian, draw half the pay and have nowhere to spend it, and can still find black ironic humour in it all. There's an old saying in the British Army: "If you can't take a joke, you shouldn't have joined!"

He has seen more suffering and death than he should have in his short lifetime. He has wept in public and in private, for friends who have fallen in combat and he is unashamed to show it or admit it. He feels every bugle note of the 'Last Post' or 'Sunset' vibrate through his body while standing rigidly to attention. He's not afraid to 'Bollock' anyone who shows disrespect when the Regimental Colours are on display or the National Anthem is played; yet in an odd twist, he would defend anyone's right to be an individual. Just as with generations of young people before him, he is paying the price for our freedom. Clean shaven and baby faced he may be, but be prepared to defend yourself if you treat him like a kid.

He is the latest in a long thin line of British Fighting Men that have kept this country free for hundreds of years. He asks for nothing from us except our respect, friendship and understanding. We may not like what he does, but sometimes he doesn't like it either - he just has it to do. Remember him always, for he has earned our respect and admiration with his blood.

And now we even have brave young women putting themselves in harm's way, doing their part in this tradition of going to war when our nation's politicians call on us to do so

If you are so inclined, feel free to say a prayer for our troops in the trouble spots of the world.

Before last week, everybody was laughing at us about Fast and Furious. The Lamestream Media and their patrons in the Democratic Party thought it was nothing more than a conspiracy theory dreamed up by the Snake Flag Tinfoil Hat Brigade branch of the Tea Party. But now the thing has grown arms and legs to the point where the President of the United States has invoked executive privilege.

Last couple of weeks Attorney General Eric Holder was in the hot seat in front of Congress and as a trained intelligence operator I can tell you I have never seen so much quibbling in my life; this was classic resistance to interrogation, from outright refusal to answer direct questions, to deliberate non-answers, to absolute untruths.

In his desperation to deflect culpability, at one point in the squirmfest Holder suggested that he didn't know about Operation Fast and Furious, that when he came into office it was already underway. Holder was obliquely referring to a Bush-era program; Operation Wide Receiver. When challenged by Congressman Issa to produce any kind of documentation that this was the case, Holder backed down and acknowledged that there was no connection between Wide Receiver and the operation currently being investigated by Congress: Fast and Furious.

Wide Receiver was a sting operation, closed down in 2007. There wasn't any plan for any kind of sting in Fast and Furious, at least not against the gun smugglers, and there were two dormant years between Wide Receiver and Fast and Furious.

In Wide Receiver the Bush administration was trying to build a case (along with the Mexican government) against a violent group of Mexican drug smugglers. Fast and Furious was an effort to build a case against the Second Amendment and American gun dealers. If Fast and Furious worked the way the Obama Administration planned, the legal gundealers (in Arizona and elsewhere) would be pointed out as responsible for the guns that ended up in the hands of the drug cartel.

Whatever proof that is now under protection of Executive Privilege, it's got to be pretty damning. Whatever proof there is, Obama’s invoking of Executive Privilege immediately demands the question: "What's Obama hiding?"

The Democrats - Liberals, including in the media - hate guns. So where is the moral outrage at Fast and Furious?

At this stage, it is important to understand the differences between Wide Receiver and Fast and Furious; they are significant and profound.

Wide Receiver was a small scale law enforcement gun smuggling interdiction effort that involved Phoenix-based ATF agents working in conjunction with Mexican law enforcement. ATF supervisors and Justice Department prosecutors in Arizona were trying to build a case against violent Mexican drug smugglers. Wide Receiver was an attempt to find out who were gun smugglers and the drug cartels, and where they are.

Fast and Furious was an effort to build a case against American gun dealers and the Second Amendment.

Wide Receiver began in 2005. It involved four hundred guns. All of the weapons in Wide Receiver had RFID trackers installed in them, and they were actively tracked. Only the Phoenix ATF and DOJ were involved. The Mexican government was kept fully informed; they were an active participant.

In Wide Receiver, the ATF agents tried to track the guns using radio devices and aircraft. They wanted to find out where the guns ended up, into the hands of which cartels and where they were, so that a case could be made. It was an effort to track these people to find them, locate them.

The Bush administration, as part of Wide Receiver, notified the Mexican government when arms and drug smugglers were crossing. When the guns were being walked across the border to Mexico, the Mexican government was notified. At least 1,400 arrests were made as part of Wide Receiver. Then the ATF found out the smugglers were disabling the RFID tracking devices planted in the guns. When the ATF became aware that the smugglers were ripping the RFID devices out and the guns were lost, the program was shut down in October of 2007.

Fast and Furious began in October of 2009, the tenth month of the Obama Administration; Wide Receiver had already been shut down for two years. Fast and Furious involved over 2,000 guns. Wide Receiver was 400 guns. No tracking devices were planted in the Fast and Furious guns, because the Obama Administration didn't care where they ended up. There was no effort was made to track them - no helicopters, no on-the-ground surveillance of the straw purchasers; the guns were sold and walked across the border. Four federal agencies were involved in maybe as many as 10 cities in five states.

Unlike Wide Receiver, the Mexican government was not notified that Operation Fast And Furious program. They did not use tracking devices or aircraft to try to find and track the smugglers. The local ATF field agents were ordered not to follow the straw purchasers.

Wide Receiver has nothing in common with Fast and Furious, other than guns crossing the border. In Operation Fast and Furious, Federal agents were not allowed to interdict the guns and they even ran interference for the smugglers with local law enforcement on multiple occasions to make sure those guns made it across the border.No effort was ever made to arrest the straw purchasers, the smugglers, by local law enforcement or anybody else. It took the deaths of at least 200 Mexican civilians and two federal agents, border agent Brian Terry and ICE agent Jaime Zapata - killed in actions with Mexican criminal drug gangsters using the smuggled weapons – for Operation Fast and Furious to be closed down.

The objective of the Bush plan, Wide Receiver, was the authorities wanted to build a case against the local drug cartels in order to put them out of business. It was a risky move, to allow guns to cross the border and to track them. The plan was to find out where they went, to find the cartel's headquarters, and then go in and shut them down. It was a risky move and it didn’t work so they shut it down, in 2007.

In 2009 the Obama Administration initiated Operation Fast and Furious; there were no tracking devices of Obama's guns, and there was no effort to find out where they went.

In Operation Fast and Furious, local law enforcement (LLE) was shoved out of the way if it tried to get in the way and stop the movement of American-bought guns into the hands of Mexican drug cartels. The Obama Administration - wanted this in order to tightened down gun laws on these kinds of guns – so-called “assault rifles” - because this had failed in Congress.

The Democrat assault weapons ban had failed - back in the 90’s. Now the Obama plan - and Holder and the rest of the Democrats who don't want you having guns - was to change the minds of the American people. The Obama Administration created crimes, facilitated the creation of crimes. Hundreds of Mexicans killed at the hands of drug cartels. The Obama Administration knew - they had to know, what was going to happen - they wanted it to happen.

Moderate drinkers had better health and lifestlye than those who drank sparingly or too much, Boston University found Photo: Alamy

A study finds that those who drink in moderation - no more than 14 drinks a week and no more than three a day for women and four a day for men - have better overall scores than those who abstain completely.

The quality of life was measured using the Health Utilities index, which looks at factors including dexterity, emotion, cognition and mobility.

Researchers from the Boston University School of Medicine studied 5,404 Canadians at age 50, and continued to observe them over a follow up period.

Most showed a stable alcohol consumption pattern and 'persistant moderate drinkers' were identified.

They found that these regular moderate drinkers scored highest in each of the health indices.

Sunday, June 24, 2012

Before Buying any piece of Modern Furniture, you must think first about your interior design style.

There is a new glory in using modern furniture pieces in decorating and furnishing your place. The beauty of every modern furniture piece intends to bring change, dramatic and meaningful effect in your home that you will treasure for good. This is something that is worth exploring if you want to uplift and increase the value of your property and of course, if you want to enjoy superior way of living from now on.

You don’t need to pay for professional architects and interior designers to transform your place into your dream home, though their help is welcome. If you manage to succeed in decision making, in choosing which furniture pieces to acquire, this is already an achievement.

Don’t Miss These Ideas When Doing Furniture Shopping

Don’t practice shopping out of whim. Careful planning and decision making is the key to acquiring the right furniture pieces. Planning means doing careful research about furniture materials and which furniture designs will make your place the place to be.

Which furniture items can be combined, which designs can blend together, and which styles perfectly create a very good atmosphere? There must be harmony even if you only chose to settle for minimalist furniture pieces.

Modern furniture is the new glory in home décor and living because of the distinct look and feel it offers to every homeowner and consumer looking for a new approach to redecorate and refurnish their place.

Powerful statements in your place can only be created if you use furniture pieces that offer outstanding designs and compelling features that you can’t simply ignore.

The Grand Plan and the ListYou never know how great things you are going to accomplish if you have a well-made plan in what you are doing. A list of furniture pieces that you should acquire and the specific details and descriptions given will play an important role in making the final decision. As much as possible make your top priority clutter-free furniture pieces because nowadays what works best is the concept of having less is way better than having more. In fact, you have more if you have less and this is what depicts every modern furniture piece you will encounter. With modern furniture pieces you will achieve the home interior you desire most in a very luxurious and comfortable manner with flying colours.

Today's post is by friend & Charter Member of Team STORMBRINGER codename LUNAR SPOOK - honors to a brave member of America's Warrior Class.

Respect, - S.L.

During my last tour to Iraq (2009-2010) I had the pleasure of serving with a Law Enforcement Professional (LEP) Tom Boyle.

Tom was a Vietnam Veteran (USMC) and a 30 year veteran of the Chicago PD. He retired at the rank of Captain, which is the highest rank a policeman can serve without being a political appointee. Tom would have none of that and decided to retire in order to spend more time with his family.

After his only son graduated college and 'Momma' was fully involved in the daily commitments of running a small business Tom funded for her, he decided to come out of retirement and serve his Nation once again. He signed on as a contractor to work as a LEP serving side-by-side with US Soldiers in the Balkans, Iraq and his last tour in Afghanistan.

I asked Tom to consider opting out of the Afghan tour and just go home to rest in retirement (once again) with his loving family. He could not. I spoke to Tom earlier this Spring as he was preparing to depart Fort Benning for year another tour doing what he loved; serving with young soldiers and helping America get this Afghan thing right.

This afternoon I received this email from a fellow friend in Afghanistan: "With deep regret I hate to inform you that LEP: Thomas Boyle: was killed on the 19th of June at 0600 hrs during an insurgent attack on his FOB near Kandahar Afghanistan. I am still waiting on the details. When I get them, I will pass them on."

Tom out working with the locals

When I learned Tom was killed by small arms fire, I said to myself, "That figures."

I recall every time a round was fired, the indirect fire alert roared, or the QRF was assembled, I would find Tom standing there with his helmet in one hand and his musket (M16A2) in the other.

He was fearless, but not in a reckless manner. His was a calm, confident demeanor and I always counted on his presence to calm the nerves of a few of the more junior troopers when things got hot.

So, how was Tom killed by small arms fire when he lived on a FOB and would have had no responsibility to man the perimeter in an attack? I believe he could not stay away from that perimeter once the first round was fired. It simply was not his nature.

I guess I always knew he'd die with his boots on.

I am making plans to travel to Chicago next week to see his family.

Rest in Peace, Tom. You're a great man and a fine example for all Americans. You continually chose, throughout your life to serve your fellow citizens when far to many have opted out. You will be missed terribly, but as I guess it was destined to be, you died with your boots on.

Saturday, June 23, 2012

I was following this story all day yesterday - a Turkish Air Force RF-4E reconnaissance plane was shot down 12.8 kilometers (eight miles) off the Syrian coast, southwest of Samandag district. The Turkish naval commander confirmed that the plane went down and announced that both pilots had been rescued - they are in good health.

Analysis:

A Turkish RF-4 Phantom was shotdown by Syrian forces. Whether or not the aircraft was over Syrian airspace is irrelevant. What is significant is the robust nature of Syria's air defences, and no hesitation in using them. Syria openly admitted responsibility for the shoot down.

This is an obvious message to the West; Turkey is a member of NATO, after all.

No, this is not a joke - this is for real, incredibly enough. Click HERE and see for yourself on the official Obama Biden re-election campaign site.

I'm almost speechless (but not quite). Can this man's ego be any more out of control? Sorry Barack - haven't you heard? Your Messianic complex thing is deader than a dodo. The only people who love you anymore have no brains - and guess what? The big money people - you ain't on their side and they know it.

Go to the website, then scroll down and go through the 730 comments - they're priceless. 730 comments - and they all slam this pathetic plan. I'll be surprised if this thing is still up by noon.

Beyond pathetic.

- S. L.

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Friday, June 22, 2012

Why do you demand respect when you lack the capacity to show respect? Why do you hate when you demand for the "hate" to stop?

As everybody can now see for themselves, the entire Gay Pride agenda is totally out of control. Here we see Gay activists from Philadelphia giving the middle finger to the portrait of President Ronald Reagan at the White House.

This is a blatant display of disrespect. Why would anyone be so disrespectful in the White House? This shows hatred for the USA, our culture, and our White House. It also shows that you and your kind are scum . . . this sickens me . . .

Last week, I was in Boston on business. One of the last images I had of that city - looking down from a highway overpass circling into the departures area of Logan Airport - was a World War I memorial featuring a doughboy statue. What really caught my attention was the rainbow flag in front of this statue, alongside the American flag and the POW/MIA flag.

I did a double take, then imagined this possible is associated with the Department of Defense announcement of Gay Pride month, and associated ceremonies to take place at the Pentagon, and elsewhere.

I've been looking everywhere on the web for a photo of the WWI doughboy statue at Logan Airport in Boston, but I can't seem to find one.

When I expressed my disgust at this to a co-worker, his comment; "Don't you think there were gay people who suffered and died in that war? Don't they deserve to be recognized?"

Of course there were homosexuals amongst the millions of souls who fought in World War I. It's also besides the point. There ALREADY IS a flag for the gay people who died in World War I, who died in every war our country has had, and who serve to this day:

Her name is Old Glory and if you need any other kind of flag then you're part of the problem with the whole Liberal agenda: they seek to Balkanize Americans into groups, by race, by color & creed. This is not the way America works. We are all Americans; not African-Americans, Asian-Americans Irish-Americans, or now this new sub-category Gay-Americans.

WE ARE AMERICANS and we are strongest when we all come together for the common good. It only strengthens our enemies when they see us divided and pitted against one another - imagine how they are laughing at us today, with this latest outrage.

FOR THE RECORD

Because I am about to be pilloried as anti-gay and homophobic (whatever that means) - here is the official party line on STORMBRINGER's take on homosexuality and the entire issue of gays in the military, etc:

Homosexuality has been with us since the Old Testament; it's part of the human condition. To this day, nobody knows whether it is due to external causes during upbringing, or genetic reasons. The Gay gene has not been found. This means for all we know, homosexuality is nothing more than a preference, a form of hedonism. (If a Gay gene IS found, then this will present a serious dilemma Liberal Gays who currently are for the "Pro-Choice" abortion agenda; AND pose some serious questions on Darwinism.)

I have known people in the military who are homosexual. A few of them tried to hide it, but it was kind of obvious. A few of them couldn't deal with the situation, and left the military - I would suggest they wouldn't adapt to the military regardless of their sexual orientation. One of the best commanders I ever had was as camp as a row of tents, we all knew it and it didn't matter one way or the other. I actually helped put this guy through the "Q" Course (although I wasn't aware of his sexual orientation at the time), he was a good leader and we appreciated having him around, as opposed to a man of lesser caliber. Then one day out in Carthage, North Carolina I encountered him with his Boy Scout troop - I sh*t you not - and I lost all respect for the man.

Human sexuality is as varied as the colors in the spectrum - we've got something for everybody. I personally could care less what your kink is. We all have our kink - all I say is just keep it in the closet where it belongs.

The President of the United States Barak Husssein Obama bows to el Presidente de Mexico Felipe Calderón . . . am I the only one who thinks this is like a line out of some alternate reality science fiction novel?

A subjective slur from the Anointed One, He-Who-Bows. The guy is so freaking arrogant, and so ignorant of the real world, that he doesn't even know it when he disrespects hundreds of thousands of veterans who have made something of their lives thanks to skills & experience gained through military service - includeing Yours Truly.

I came away from my military service with three MOS's (Military Occupational Specialties) and a couple languages under my belt. I was able to use the academic credentials from this training and other service schools and matriculate to a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering. These days I work in security, in the corporate environment - the people I work with recognize that the skills learned in NCO service schools equate to graduate level credentials. American NCOs possess organizational, management and planning skills and experience that no MBA course can provide upon graduation.

- S. L.

Equating a High School Diploma with Service in the Military?

by Richard Butrick

President Obama has equated graduating high school (or obtaining a GED) with military service, in terms of justifying granting work permits to illegal aliens of a certain age.

There is a long history of legal residents who are non-citizens serving in the military. During the Civil War one quarter of the Union Army was made up of immigrants. Last year 8,465 non-citizens enlisted in the U.S. armed forces (4.6 percent of total enlistments). Currently, 28,591 non-citizens are on active duty (2.5 percent of active duty forces).

There is also a long tradition of service in the military being a fast track to citizenship.

Service in the military is seen as the highest form of patriotism especially if that service involves combat. Service in the military means you have demonstrated the extent of your belief in the value of being an American citizen.

Getting a high school diploma? It may demonstrate next to nothing. Some high school graduates can barely read or write. They have barely any knowledge of US history and can't even name the three branches of government. They may just come out with an attitude that the US sucks.

Bundling military service with getting a high school diploma as part of Obama's declaration is pure subterfuge. The former is already a fast track to citizenship the latter may be little basis for much of anything.

Anyway like I pointed out the other day - it is impossible for an undocumented person - alien or US citizen it doesn't matter - to make it into the United States military so the point is mute. Just goes to show how much Barry Soetero knows about the military of which he is the nominal Commander-in-Chief.

- STORMBRINGER SENDS

Thursday, June 21, 2012

When summer time finally rolls around everyone's attention turns to the outdoors. Backyard barbecues, pool parties and trips to the beach start to fill up our calendars for the warm months. While all of the fun summer activities keep us busy, many people also see summer as the perfect time for some home improvements. Keep in mind that just because most of our time revolves around being outside, all of your projects don't have to. Summer is a great time for planning some future projects and doing some interior work.

One project that creeps up in people's mind during the summer is installing a pool. The hot weather can make anyone want to start digging up the backyard so they can finally cool off. Summer however, may not be the best time to actually have that pool installed. You may want to consider spending the summer months planning your pool installation and taking a good look at how you really want to utilize your backyard. On average (depending on the size of the project and the season) it can take anywhere from 8 to 12 weeks for pool installation. If you begin the process at the start of summer, by the time it is finished, you won't really have any time to enjoy it. It's better to take the time to plan it out, research and find out what you really want. Then, once fall or the end of winter rolls around, have that pool installed. When the first hot day hits, you will be ready to lounge the day away!

Another great project for the summer months is repaving and resurfacing. If you have a driveway, the summer is the perfect time to have it repaved. The dry, hot days of summer are the best time for this project because the asphalt will adhere much better. It is a general rule of thumb to avoid repaving when it is raining or snowing. If you have other walkways on your property, summer is the time to tackle repairs. Check the mortar on any brick walkways to make sure you don't have any crumbling. If you have concrete walks check for cracks and crumbling as well. Summer is also a great time to resurface your deck. Deck surfaces always can use a little TLC and this is a project that can typically be finished in a weekend. Get that old paint scraped off and put a fresh new coat on or get the wood resealed and stained. It will make a huge difference in both appearance and the lifespan of your deck.

One final home improvement idea that is great to tackle during the summer is a new fence. A new fence can make a huge impact on the overall appearance of you home and yard. There are a ton of choices now from chain link, to wooden, vinyl and privacy fences. Depending on what your needs are (kids, pets, etc) and how much maintenance you want will depend on what kind of fence you have installed. Talk with an expert to decide which material will be best for your yard. This is a project best left to a professional unless you are a seasoned do-it-yourselfer with some experience in fencing. Summer is a great time for this project because the ground is nice and soft so digging all those post holes will be less labor intensive. This is a project that can usually be done in a weekend and will give you plenty of enjoyment and security for many years.

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

This was inevitable - the Department of the Army is seriously considering allowing women to attend Ranger School.

Anybody who has ever attended that hellhole will know this is beyond a bad idea, this is insane.

The hero named Grim over at BlackFive has a great analysis of this PC-gone crazy:

A better argument: women are structurally at least four times as likely to be seriously injured in this kind of intense physical training, and possibly -- if the British army's experience is telling -- as much as eight times as likely.This leaves three options for implementation, all of them bad.

1) Hold the line.Qualified women attend at full speed. Through no fault of their own, but simply due to the physics of body construction, we lose some of the best female soldiers in the Army to career-ending injuries; and/or we lose years of their careers to recuperation. This attains the stated end -- women who survive and get the tab will be due much respect -- but at a very high cost to the force, and the country.

2) Make another line.Men continue to attend at full speed. A second track for women, with a lighter physical load, is developed. Women with Ranger tabs end up the butt of jokes instead of getting the intended respect, because everybody knows they got the tab for less effort. This fails to attain the stated purpose of the reform, as the Ranger tab won't get the women any respect. This also severely damages the Ranger ethos, by making some Rangers more equal than others. A two-track elite is not an elite; only the top of the two tracks is the elite.

3) Abandon the line.Move the physical standards back to levels women can complete without sustaining the kinds of disabling injuries associated with the current physical fitness standards. This fails to attain the stated end, and actually achieves what Killcullen is worried about: it destroys the ethos associated withthe Rangers.

If women are allowed to serve in the Infantry...or go to Ranger School then you're going to have to lower the standards. There is no if's and's or but's about it.

If you don't lower the standards then you're going to lose some outstanding individuals that could have served admirably in another career field.

If you make it a two track system where standards for women are different from men then you have just solidified them as second class warriors.

Men had to do more and be better to get to the same place.

"War is simple, direct and ruthless," - General George S. Patton

There has been a creeping incrementalism going on for over a decade - the whole women in the Combat Arms thing. This is nothing more than an extention of the old Women's Lib movement from the 70's; i.e. Political Correctness taken to the extreme. It's telling that the impetus to include women in Ranger training and Combat Arms units is the same issue used to justify women in command slots in the Navy - to allow them to compete more equally for promotions against their male counterparts. Excuse me; isn't the purpose of the U.S. military - or any military organization - to defend the nation? This kind of civilian human resource thinking deters from the mission; to crush your enemies, to see them driven before you, and to hear the cries and lamentations of their women?

Soldiering is hard, punishing work. Marching endless miles taxes the body; day into night, burdened by weapons and equipment up to 50% of your body weight; tired, hungry, thirsty, fed upon by insects and parasites. Infantry training leaves permanent injury. We are not talking about a sporting event, where training involves proper rest; Infantry and Special Forces operations push soldiers to the breaking limit through extreme infiltration techniques, lack of sleep, hunger, and then demand performance at complex, physically demanding, team-oriented tasks involving marching, digging, carrying and using heavy weapons, explosives and other dangerous equipment; ideally under cover of darkness and in the worst weather conditions.

The Combat Arms requires physical strength, strength of character, personal drive and motivation. A chain is as strong as it's weakest link and men are stronger than women by a significant margin.

There is another aspect; it is totally politically incorrect for me to point this out, but it is so. There is something of a male sanctuary to the Infantry squad or platoon, or Special Forces team. This is Male Territory; the girls are not invited. Women are creatures of emotion, they are catty and they "need to talk" - a common phrase amongst women. (The average woman uses 20,000 words a day, men only 7,000. I'd go out on a limb; most of the men I know and work with get away with less than that - a LOT less.) To insert women into the unique dynamic of the squad, platoon or team will be disastrous; nothing good will come of this.

To include women into Ranger training is beyond folly - it is The Emperor's New Clothes.

Ever heard of Two Men and a Truck? Those humdrum white trucks, the logo looks like it's been painted on by hand? That's a 220 million dollar business that was started by a housewife as a hobby with a truck she bought for $325 ! ! !

These photographs were taken on 15 June 2011; Androsky showed up for a graduation ceremony at Fort Benning / Sand Hill (anybody who's spent more than a day in the Infantry knows that place) wearing 15 rows of Army, Air Force AND Coast Guard awards and decorations, and 7 commando-man scare badges. Androsky was there to see his stepson graduate from training (he's apparently married to a 54 year-old). Upon arrival, Androsky reportedly complained to unit leadership that he was disrespected by a Drill Sergeant and that is where Androsky found himself subject to scrutiny. After questioning, Androsky was escorted off base by Fort Benning Military Police.

. . . he's certainly done a good job of dismantling his own life . . . one court martial offense at a time . . .

Apparently there was some confinement time from 2003-06, that continued after the bad conduct discharge:

New evidence suggests that it was the domestication of the dog that supported modern man's evolutionary triumph over the Neandertal alternative:

Would a good dog really have been so important that it would inspire ritual significance—and give modern humans a crucial edge over Neandertals? We can’t observe how ancient, but anatomically modern, humans used dogs in their daily life, but there are some interesting possibilities. We know from their bones that the Paleolithic dogs were very large, with a body mass of at least 32 kilograms and a shoulder height of at least 61 centimeters, about the size of a modern German shepherd. Germonpré and her colleagues suggest that these early dogs might have been beasts of burden. They cite ethnographic examples of peoples like the Blackfeet and Hidatsa of the American West, who bred very large, strong dogs specifically for hauling travois or strapped-on packs.

All but one of the six Paleolithic dog sites that have so far been identified preserve large quantities of mammoth bone which, with meat attached, must have been lugged from the kill site to where the group was living. If the dogs carried the meat, humans would have saved a lot of energy, so each kill would have provided a greater net gain in food—even after feeding the dogs. Additional food generally has marked effects on the health of a group. Better-fed females can have more babies, can provide them with more milk and can have babies at shorter intervals. Before long, using pack dogs could have caused the human population to increase.

Dogs may also have contributed more directly to human hunting success. To discover how big a difference dogs could make, Vesa Ruusila and Mauri Pesonen of the Finnish Game and Fisheries Institute investigated what may be the closest easily studied analog to a mammoth hunt: the Finnish moose hunt. Finns use large dogs such as Norwegian elkhounds or Finnish spitzes to find moose and keep them in place by barking until humans can approach and shoot them. In hunting groups of fewer than 10 people, the average carcass weight per hunter without dogs was 8.4 kilograms per day. With dogs, the yield went up to 13.1 kilograms per hunter per day—an increase of 56 percent.

David Frum is a contributing editor at Newsweek and The Daily Beast and a CNN contributor.

Smell-Speech Theoryby Sean Linnane

A theory was suggested to me that Dog's incredible sense of smell may have allowed our human ability to communicate with verbal speech to develop, because the portion of the brain we use for speech is the same part of the brain used by other animals for sense of smell. This theory does not account for our own (human) sense of smell, which far from being suppressed is quite powerful.

The sense of smell is the strongest of our five senses - it works even in the dark, and as any professional outdoorsman can tell you, increases in sensitivity after two or three days in the woods - especially if you're hungry. The five most powerful smells are blood, peanut butter, chocolate, gasoline and fire. Anybody who's been to Ranger School knows how you can smell a Snicker's Bar being ingested fifty feet away.

Of course, there are other aspects of our human condition that debunk the smell vs. speech theory - A) despite some remarkable similarities we are not dogs, or any other kind of animal for that matter - we are unique amongst the Animal Kingdom, B) if you go by Darwinism, this kind of development would take millions of years and quite possibly represents the only measurable evidence of evolution within the human race, 3) If you go by Genesis, we have been able to communicate verbally since the Beginning.

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"That's my story and I'm sticking to it."

- STORMBRINGER SENDS

Sunday, June 17, 2012

This was originally posted for last year's Father's Day - it was my way of saying 'Thank You' to my Dad, when it became clear he was approaching the Last Trail. Regular readers already know that Dad crossed over to the Other Side just last month, and I was fortunate to be by his side to the very end. Thanks for everything you gave me, Dad, wherever you may be. - S.L.

My Dad (on the left) at one of the power plants he built - the gentleman on the far right is Kasem Chatikavanij, General Manager of the Electrical Generating Authority of Thailand, later Minister of Industry for Thailand.

My Dad's story is incredible - he started out a country kid from Woodend, Victoria, where my grandfather had a pub. School was finished for Dad at age 15 and his first job was riding a bicycle, doing deliveries for a chemist (that's a drugstore here in the States). This was in the depths of the Great Depression, life was hard, and opportunities were few and far between. During World War II Dad got his break - an apprenticeship as a machinist in the shipyards in Williamstown, west of Melbourne.

My Dad worked hard; as hard as anyone has ever worked in their life. He went to night school and earned a tech school diploma as a machinist - riding the trams late at night after a hard day in the shipyard, cracking the books and studying hard. I've seen the books he studied; thermodynamics, principles of steam power generation - what they called a machinist in 1940s Australia is really what we call a mechanical engineer today, and somewhere along the way Dad parlayed that tech school certificate into just that.

There was a greater sacrifice; my Dad is an artist. He studied drawing and painting. There were always books around our house dedicated to art; the incredible works of Michelangelo and Da Vinci; the bright vivid colors of the Impressionists, Van Gogh and Gauguin. But when he was young, the life of a starving artist simply wasn't a realistic course of action for a member of the working class with a wife & kids. And so he nugged it out in the machine shops, turning and shaping metal on lathes and drill presses.

Opportunity presented itself in North America and Dad made his move, securing a job in the design office of a project in Seattle, Washington. Mum & us kids (there were only two of us at that time) stayed in Vancouver until Dad could work something with U.S. Immigration and get us across the border.

That was the start of my Dad's incredible career as a consulting engineer; he built industrial sites in all over Asia and here in the United States. A urea processing plant in Sumatra, Indonesia; three huge electrical power plants big enough to power the cities - one in Bangladesh and two in Thailand - a city water supply facility in Turkey, and several projects here in the United States. Nothing ever held my Dad back - he could do anything.

And so my brothers and I grew up overseas and lived the amazing ex-pat lifestyle; an education no school can provide. I still remember when I was six, in Indonesia - my dad built a classic, clinker-hulled dinghy with a mast and lateen-rigged sail and a 1.5 horsepower Seagull outboard. The sail was hand sewn from old rice sacks and the spars were bamboo. I remember Dad taking me up the river, and I remember the banks of that river lined with crocodiles basking in the sun. We stopped and visited a native village; bamboo longhouses up on stilts. It was a scene right out of a Conrad novel (even though I didn't know it at the time). By the time I was a teenager I'd had adventures most kids cannot even imagine.

Of course we had no idea whatsoever how hard life really is, no concept of how hard Dad worked each and every day of his life. Dad's greatest frustration was probably trying to infuse the work ethic into us. There were work projects and chores, but nothing like what he went through as a kid; so one summer vacation my Dad arranged for my older brother and I to work in a factory in Sydney (it was winter down there) - that was an eye-opener for an expat kid from Southeast Asia, let me tell you.

Dad told us stories of his life; trying to make it as a kid in the shipyards, and somewhere along the way some of it stuck. He taught us that for anything you want in this Life you have to work hard, that hard work is it's own reward, and if a job of work is worth doing then it's worth doing right.

He taught us to always be courteous, to speak clearly and correctly, to always say "Sir," and to always say "please" and "thank you". Despite his own 'School of Hard Knocks' background - or more likely, because of it - my Dad is an optimist; he taught me that as hard as this World is, it isn't always 'Dog eat Dog', it's more like 'Friend Help Friend', and that if you worked hard and played it straight and true, somewhere down the line somebody would be willing to lend a hand when you needed it.

Dad taught me valuable skills; how to work with tools, caring for and sharpening blades, small engine maintenance and repair. To this day I can sharpen any blade - axes, lawnmower blades, machetes; all my military knives are razor sharp. Dad taught me drawing; how human and animal figures can be developed from cubes, cylinders and cones; perspective, texture, shadow and form. What my Dad taught in maths and technical drawing - together with my own humble credentials as a military engineer - has led directly to my present career in industrial security.

Everything I've got in this Life I owe directly to my father's influence. He taught me that "God loves a tryer" - no truer words - that if I worked hard and tried, I might fail and fall flat on my face - and I have a couple times - but that if I picked myself up each and every time and kept on trying, in the end I'd always make it. My father's words got me through my darkest hours, the hardest times in Special Forces, and they inspire me to this day.

My Dad is a success story in Life, greater than most. He gave us kids the best educations, we wanted for nothing, and he honored my mother - a saint - who passed away eleven years ago this coming September. In retirement Dad returned to his first love, art. He took up oils and won several medals and blue ribbons for his works, and achieved significant success in selling them. Of course, he accomplished this with the help and support of his second wife, my step-mother Ruth, who is also a saint.

Dad is generous to a T; he has graciously helped every member of our family. It is impossible for me to thank my Dad enough for all he's done - the only way I know how is to live my life as best as I can, and to dedicate my achievements to him. If could ever achieve ten percent in my lifetime of what my Dad did in his - given his humble beginnings - I'd probably be Prime Minister of Australia by now.

Joseph Collins – a man of unyielding courage and strength – has proudly served his country in more ways than one. Today, Joseph is playing perhaps the most important role of his life, the role of being a father. In this video, Joseph expounds upon the love he has for his son, as well as the influence his own father had on his life and career.

Saturday, June 16, 2012

Yesterday the Current Occupier of the Whitehouse overruled our democratically-elected Congress and made law by fiat; in his pronouncement of amnesty to illegal aliens, Field Marshall Choomwagen effectively established the DREAM Act into law, previously voted against by our lawmakers.

This is not a political blog and I am not a lawyer, but this raw power move must be addressed - I am scratching my head over how is this legal? How can a President - any President - effectively dictate law from the podium in the Rose Garden?

How can this be?

Somebody Help Me Here

Never mind the economic recklessness of opening the floodgates to millions of uneducated, unskilled, illiterate (previously illegal) aliens - the question puzzling me is the ability of the Executive Branch to establish law against the will of our elected representatives; in essence, ruling against the will of the people of the United States.

How is this any different from a President arbitrarily establishing that marijuana - possession of any amount, cultivation, distribution and dealing of - is legal and will be subject to taxation, just like gasoline or liquor? How is this any different from a President decreeing that military conscription - the draft - is re-enacted?

STORMBRINGER is an Immigrant

I earned my citizenship the traditional way - through military service. Which brings up a side question; one of the conditions Obama described yesterday to allow amnesty to previously illegal, undocumented aliens is military service. This is interesting because it is impossible for an undocumented person to enter into the United States military.

Proof of United States citizenship (birth certificate and or passport) or legal alien residence - a.k.a. 'Green Card' - is required to enlist in the United States military. In order for an illegal alien - or any undocumented person - to join the military there would have to be an illegal conspiracy between that person, the recruiter, and any person or U.S. agency involved in the processing of security clearances. Such activities are criminal and there are significant penalties and fines associated with these sort of crimes.

Ergo, is the President of the United States granting amnesty by default to any and all representatives of the U.S. government who participated in such activities?

Of course I'm not surprised the press didn't pick up on this, and anyway this is a side issue. The greater question remains: Can the President dictate law against the will of Congress and the People of the United States?

Instinctive Outrage

Refreshingly, the press for once reacted immediately and appropriately; a fellow immigrant - reporter Neil Munro explains his exchange with Obama in the Rose Garden. Munro hails from Ireland; a land with a long history of struggle against tyranny. Your comments are welcome, of course.